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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1990
"BUILDERS WILL BE ABLR TO FOLLOW THESE CODES то ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE, OR EMPLOY ALTERNATIVE METHODS WHICH WILL GIVE EQUALLY SATISFACTORY RESULTS," HE S'D.
MR EASON ALSO POINTED AT THAT THE THEME WHICH RAN THROUGH MUCH OF HIS DEPARTMENT'S WORK HAD TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, OR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SAID HIS WAS IN FACT VERY MUCH A "QUALITY OF LIFE" DEPARTMENT.
"AS BUILDING AUTHORITY, PART OF MY MISSION IS TO ENSURE THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS ENHANCED AND NOT DIMINISHED THROUGH BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.
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WITHIN THIS BRIEF, HE WAS ANXIOUS ΤΟ SEE THAT STATUTORY CONTROL WAS EXERCISED REASONABLY AND THAT THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE BK KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW TO KEEP PACE WITH TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT AND THE CHANGE IN DEMAND BY BUILDING USERS.
"TOO STRINGENT CONTROL SUPPRESSES INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY AND RESTRICTS FLEXIBILITY. TOO LOOSE CONTROL COMPROMISES STANDARDS AND SAFETY," HE STRESSED.
MR EASON SAID THE REVISED REGULATIONS WOULD ALLOW, AMONG OTHER THINGS, NEW BUILDING PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS BOUGHT TO HONG KONG TO BE PUT TO GREATER USE.
IT WOULD ALSO HELP PROSPECTIVE BUYERS GREATLY IF MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS COULD VERIFY THAT THEIR PRODUCTS SATISFIED LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.
MR EASON SAID HIS DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO COMMISSIONED A STUDY ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS ΤΟ TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ENERGY CONSERVATION WITH A VIEW TO INCORPORATING ENERGY-SAVING FEATURES INTO BUILDING AND BUILDING PRODUCT DESIGN.
ON OTHER ASPECTS OF HIS DEPARTMENT'S WORK, MR EASON SAID THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE HAD IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR BEGUN A SURVEY OF ALL EXISTING BUILDINGS IN THE TERRITORY.
SO FAR, ABOUT 95 PER CENT OF THESE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN GIVEN AN INITIAL EXTERNAL INSPECTION AND ABOUT ONE-THIRD OR 20,000 BUILDINGS HAD BEEN CLASSIFIED AS REQUIRING FURTHER DETAILED INTERNAL SURVEY AND INEVITABLY WOULD NEED REPAIR.
IF
MR EASON SAID THE MAIN LESSON FROM THE EXERCISE WAS THAT BUILDINGS WERE TO LAST LONGER AND COST LESS IN THE LONG
RUN, IT WAS VITAL THAT THEY BE PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
MINIMUM AND NEED то BE AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN
"IF THE NEED FOR REPAIR IS ΤΟ BE KEPT ΤΟ THE REDEVELOPMENT IS NOT THE ANSWER, GREATER ATTENTION WILL PAID TO THE USE OF MAINTENANCE-FREE BUILDING PRODUCTS SYSTEMS AS WELL AS THE PROVISION OF READY ACCESS FOR THE FUTURE," HE ADDED.
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